Apparatus for cutting heavy wall tube

Abstract

Apparatus for cutting heavy wall tubing including vertical and horizontal mechanically driven rams operated in sequence to drive blades fully through a tubing section. Notching blades cut shallow notches in the section in advance of the main blade entries thereby to prevent dimpling.

I claim: 
     
       1. Apparatus for cutting tubing comprising: a first ram having a continuously driven first stroke path of such length to extend fully through a tubing section,   a section ram having a continuously driven second path of such length to extend fully through a tubing section which is aligned with and angularly spaced from the first stroke path by about 90',   a first blade operated by the first ram and of sufficient length as to penetrate entirely through both opposite walls of the tubing along the first path but of a width which is less than the maximum inside dimension of the tubing measured across the path,   a second blade operated by the second ram to cut through the wall portions of the tubing which are uncut as a result of the first ram operation, and   control means for operating said first ram through a cut and return stroke before operating said second ram.   
     
     
       2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 further including clamping jaw means operable along an axis parallel to the second stroke path to clamp and unclamp the tubing. 
     
     
       3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 including stop means for positively supporting the jaw means relative to the second ram. 
     
     
       4. Apparatus for severing tubing comprising: (a) a first ram defining a first stroke;   (b) a second ram defining a second stroke path intersecting but angularly spaced from the first stroke path;   (c) first notching blade means for cutting a first notch through a tube section which lies in the path of the first stroke;   (d) first cutting blade means of a width less than the inside diameter of the tubing and which is mounted to be driven through the tubing by the first ram;   (e) second notching blade means mounted adjacent the first cutting blade to be driven by the first ram through the tubing and to notch a second section which lies outside of the first stroke path but within the second stroke path;   (f) second cutting blade means mounted to be driven through the tubing along the second path; and   (g) means for sequentially controlling the operations of the first and second rams.   
     
     
       5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 further including means for clamping the tubing in a fixed orientation relative to the first and second stroke paths. 
     
     
       6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein the clamping means comprises first and second jaw holders mounted for reversely reciprocal motion relative to the tubing, at least a pair of clamping jaws mounted on respective jaw holders for complementally clamping the tubing, means for operating the jaws between an open, unclamped position and a closed, clamped position, and   stop means abutting one of the jaw holders to support the holder in the direction of the second stroke.